Hi,

I'm looking for another vocal mic to compliment my collection. My budget is around £400. I currently own :-

Neumann TLM102
SE Electronics SE2200T
Audio Technica AT4040
Shure SM7b
Kel HM2d
Rode NT-1a
Oktava MK-319 (faulty)

I don't really like the Shure SM7b and tend to prefer the KEL HM2d for really bright sources. I don't use my Rode NT-1a either so am thinking of selling these mics to get something different.
Another option I'm considering is sending my Oktava off to be repaired and modded at the same time!?

What would you recommend?

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www.richardpenrose.com

Here are my (in budget) vocal champions...

MD441 - Female vocals and anything a bit harsh/nasal/peaky.
EV635a - A superb 'character' mic. Hard to explain, but excels at making thing sound beautifully 'smaller' - great on acoustic guitar. An insanely useful mic.
SM57 - Still a good choice for power-vocals and BVs.
MD421 - As SM57, but a more 'forward' and fuller sound.
MXL V69ME - Great tube mic for not much money - a bit noisy though.
MXL V6 - Much as V69ME, but with less noise and an ever-so-slighty glassier/harder top end.

There's actually another obscure Chinese mic that I really like on female vocals, but I don't own it and I've been looking for one for around 10 years - I'll keep quiet about that one until I manage to pick one up myself!

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

I picked up a used beyer MC740 on ebay a couple of months ago for £300 (!). So far I've found it a bit fizzy on a trumpet but it worked well on a couple of vocal recordings (classical and pop) providing a noticeable, silky sheen to the sound each time. However, it is bright even next to my sE2200a, which is saying something, so I'm on the hunt for a darker mic to complement it!

Quote The Elf:

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There's actually another obscure Chinese mic that I really like on female vocals, but I don't own it and I've been looking for one for around 10 years - I'll keep quiet about that one until I manage to pick one up myself!

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I wonder if you're thinking about number 797 from a capital of the People's Republic of China???

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"A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I'm still doing it." - Miles Davis

Quote dickiefunk:

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What would you recommend?

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Do not sell SM7 you'll need that mic one day...
Fix the Oktava and take a look at BeesNeez Microphones they had a deal on Arabella GT for $800 (Facebook), I know it's a bit off your budget...but hey you can still let that Rode go

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"A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I'm still doing it." - Miles Davis

Quote SouthWestStudio:

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Quote The Elf:

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There's actually another obscure Chinese mic that I really like on female vocals, but I don't own it and I've been looking for one for around 10 years - I'll keep quiet about that one until I manage to pick one up myself!

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I wonder if you're thinking about number 797 from a capital of the People's Republic of China???

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The mic I have in mind goes by several names, but that ain't one of them!

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An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Quote The Elf:

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Quote SouthWestStudio:

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Quote The Elf:

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There's actually another obscure Chinese mic that I really like on female vocals, but I don't own it and I've been looking for one for around 10 years - I'll keep quiet about that one until I manage to pick one up myself!

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I wonder if you're thinking about number 797 from a capital of the People's Republic of China???

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The mic I have in mind goes by several names, but that ain't one of them!

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Well that must be different mic then... I'm waiting arrival of my 797

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"A legend is an old man with a cane known for what he used to do. I'm still doing it." - Miles Davis

So you want another mic so it can say "Wow - you're nice Neumann ... you are too, Audio Technica. Looking good, Shure. Hey Rode - you're wonderful."



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Website / Music Lab Machines / Blog

You just might get a used AKG 414 for that money

Edited by whis4ey (06/05/12 07:17 PM)

Quote dickiefunk:

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Another option I'm considering is sending my Oktava off to be repaired and modded at the same time!?

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I sent my Studio Projects LSD2 stereo mic of to Oktavamod for Michael Joly to do his stuff on and the whole procedure was remarkably painless considering the mic crossed the Atlantic twice. And yes, it's a better mic than it was. I think it was money well spent.

CC

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Put the fun back into dysfunctional.
Mr Punch's Studio

Quote whis4ey:

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You just might get a used AKG 414 for that money

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or what about an AKG C214?

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www.Lozjackson.com

It's interesting you don't like the SM7. You are using it up close aren't you? I find it's a very useful mic, especially for spoken word.

It would be useful to know what sort of mic you're looking for. Something warm, bright? My view on vocal mics is to try to cover a range of voice options who may come into the studio. I sort of have a progression from warm to bright, which might go Naked Eye > RE20 > Sm7 > TLM193 > C414TLII > MK4 > TLm103, seems to work for me.

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Yeah I've tried the SM7b up close.

I'm looking for a mic that has a full rich sound with plenty of detail without sounding harsh, sibilant or thin.

One mic I recently tried which I quite liked is the SE Gemini II so something along these lines but maybe a fraction smoother top end?

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www.richardpenrose.com

Well you might be looking at a ribbon or perhaps the RE20, but interestingly I would have put the SM7 into that category, especially with the high frequency attenuation engaged.

Is you room OK?

Bob

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www.bickerton.co.nz

Quote dickiefunk:

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Yeah I've tried the SM7b up close.

I'm looking for a mic that has a full rich sound with plenty of detail without sounding harsh, sibilant or thin.

One mic I recently tried which I quite liked is the SE Gemini II so something along these lines but maybe a fraction smoother top end?

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Hi Dickie - sorry for the interrupt but I might be in the market for an SM7 so if you are selling, PM me..

[/interrupt]

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getting better all the time..

414 very handy but... Please, please, please take SE up on their free trial of the VR1. They are absolutely stunning mics and the most unique sounding mic mic I've purchased lately. And that's what I'm after these days. Something different.

This ribbon just works on absolutely everything. It has the HF Lift that is stunning but shines all the more with EQ and oozes body.

When I first got my pair 2 years ago I threw them up next to just about everything I was recording and they blew almost everything away. they just sound 'real' and exactly what you want to hear.

Please give them a try.

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http://www.loverslanestudios.co.uk

Assuming the Neumann,the AT4040 and the SM7 are keepers.

What you don't have is anything based around a k47 type capsule.

Quote dickiefunk:

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I'm looking for a mic that has a full rich sound with plenty of detail without sounding harsh, sibilant or thin.

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(over generalising here but .........)
Compared to k67/87 capsules k47's don't have that big boost at the top end, have a little less low end and lots of detail in the mids.

Since 90% or more of a mic's character is from the capsule and spending £400 on another middle of the range mic will get you another middle of the range result, why not spend £200 - £300 on a really good k47 or M7 style capsule to go into the sE2200T for example ?
And a good output transformer £50 - £100.

Alternatively, keep your two favourites and sell everything else, it may well be that the "full rich sound with plenty of detail" that you seek just isn't available below £1500.

(the 319 does smooth out quite nicely and darken a bit with the well known mods)

Some useful suggestions here.

I have considered a 47 type mic before and tried the Peluso 2247 which is a really great mic but I found it a little too dark?

In terms of dark / ribbon / dynamic type sounds I already have the KEL HM-2D and prefer this to the SM7b and Golden Age Projects R1 mkIII ribbon mic.

Ideally I would like something similar to my Neumann TLM102 but a little thicker with an even smoother top end. I love the natural tone of this mic and like most things about it.

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www.richardpenrose.com

Quote dickiefunk:

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Some useful suggestions here.

I have considered a 47 type mic before and tried the Peluso 2247 which is a really great mic but I found it a little too dark?

In terms of dark / ribbon / dynamic type sounds I already have the KEL HM-2D and prefer this to the SM7b and Golden Age Projects R1 mkIII ribbon mic.

Ideally I would like something similar to my Neumann TLM102 but a little thicker with an even smoother top end. I love the natural tone of this mic and like most things about it.

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All reasons to try the sE

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http://www.loverslanestudios.co.uk